In Waco, Texas, the Waco Police Department posted they had been “saddened by the unfortunate shooting” of a dog named Finn. The dog had been shot and killed by officers after they were dispatched to the wrong house during an investigation of a suspected robbery in progress.
The disturbing situation occurred on June 3 when a 911 call reported a man allegedly kicking in the door of a woman’s home. In the background, the dispatcher could hear a male voice telling the woman he wasn’t trying to hurt her, but then the call disconnected.
The address given to police by dispatchers had been autocorrected from 3204 N. 20th A Street to 3204 N. 20th Street.[one street over] As officers arrived, they noticed the back door had been left ajar and entered while calling out they were there. Multiple dogs barking approached the officers. Of course, the dogs were protecting their home.
One dog who acted more aggressively lunged at our officer, retreated and then lunged at the officer again. After the dog lunged a second time toward the officer, the officer made the decision to fire one round of his duty-issued weapon, striking the dog.
Waco PD
It was the dog named Finn who was shot. His owners Cassie Page and her boyfriend had been taking a nap when she heard the dogs and the commotion. And within seconds, she heard a taser and a gunshot.
The officers quickly realized they had entered the wrong home and helped the family take Finn to an emergency veterinarian. Unfortunately, their beloved dog did not survive.
Body worn camera of incident:
We are regretful of the outcome regarding our response that resulted in the death of Finn. We will work diligently to confirm the address entered into our Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system is accurate and precise. We are engaging the CAD system manufacturer to ensure that steps are taken to prevent any similar occurrence. Additionally, dispatchers will be directed to evaluate any address that occurs on any of the streets that have an adjacent “A” street.
The original incident was quickly addressed by officers after realizing they were dispatched to the wrong house. No injuries were reported, and no arrests were made from the original call.
Cierra Shipley, PIO
A GoFund link quickly reached its goal of more than $8,000. The family plan to hire an attorney to represent them.
Rest in peace Finn.
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